Name: Potatoes with Chorizo and Tomato
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , unpeeled, cut into ½- to ¾-inch dice; 3/4 teaspoon table salt; 5 ounces Spanish-style chorizo sausage , sliced ¼ inch thick (1 cup); 1 onion , cut into ½-inch dice; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder; 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems; 4 ounces cotija cheese , crumbled (1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

When potatoes, smoky Spanish-style chorizo, and tomato sauce come together—as they sometimes do in Spanish cuisine—they become a beautiful thing that is equally good as a side for chicken; as a meal with an egg on top; or simply on a plate with some cheese, served next to a tall glass of sangria. Creamy Yukon Gold potatoes were our favorite in this dish for their medium-starchy texture and lightly buttery flavor. Cooking the potatoes in tomato sauce often left them unevenly cooked. Instead, steaming the potatoes, alone, in a covered skillet ensured that the potatoes were fully tender. An onion; some smoky, spicy chipotle chile powder; and some garlic enhanced the flavor of the sliced chorizo. Cotija cheese sprinkled over the top made this rich yet bright dish something worth writing home about.

Before You Begin

Use a dry-cured, Spanish-style chorizo in this recipe.

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add potatoes and salt. Cover and cook until fork inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, 10 to 12 minutes, shaking skillet periodically to redistribute potatoes.

Uncover; add chorizo and onion; and cook until onion is softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and chile powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce; reduce heat to low; and cook until sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with cotija. Serve.